1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a method of prematching colors with medications and/or nutrients for delivery to patients by intravenous catheters to provide better monitoring of such delivery.
2. Relevant Prior Art
As part of most intensive medical emergencies and hospitalizations, the patient is set up with an intravenous (xe2x80x9cIVxe2x80x9d) feed line for delivery of fluids, nutrients and/or medications. In the past few years, many new medications have become available and many patients are on multiple medications, nutrients and/or fluids, which during treatments and hospitalizations are induced through a single IV feed line by piggybacking. The feed or main line has xe2x80x9cyxe2x80x9d injection sites spaced along the main line. IVs are essential when the patient is unconscious or introduction of medication by mouth is inappropriate due to type of medication, time or stomach contents. IVs also have the advantage of better monitoring the amount of medication and the rate of delivery.
There are problems. How does one quickly identify which line contains which medications, nutrients or fluids. There is typically one main line administering water or a saline solution. A bottle or bag containing medication, fluid or nutrient to be delivered can be placed in flow communication with the patient by attaching a line in flow communication between the bag or bottle and a xe2x80x9cyxe2x80x9d injection site of the main line. The line containing medication, nutrient or fluid typically has a needle at the distal end to be pushed through a diaphragm at the xe2x80x9cyxe2x80x9d injection site. The main line solution and various medication bottles or bags are hung on an IV pole and are gravity fed or administered by an infusion pump to the patient. One or more slide clamps along the lines control the rate of flow. Time is sometimes critical and the fastest method to stop a single feed is to pull the correct line end from the xe2x80x9cyxe2x80x9d site or clamp it closed. Unfortunately, if the IV administration lines are tangled and identical, the correct line must be traced forward from the particular bag or bottle to the clamp or to its xe2x80x9cyxe2x80x9d site. As IV administration lines have multiplied even in what was previously a simple case, one can appreciate the confusion and possibilities for error.
For example, most labor and delivery sections of a hospital use three or four continuous medications. It is not uncommon to induce birth with one medication while additionally medicating with other medications. This is especially true in problem pregnancies and multiple births. At times it is critical to change the rate of flow or disconnect the line from one of several medications. Time may be critical. If all lines are identical, then the line must be traced forward from the medication to the desired clamp or all the way forward to the main line. This delays action and errors may occur due to the wrong line being clamped or disconnected.
The hospital setting provides great opportunities for medication errors. Hospitals are open seven days a week and 24 hours a day. A particular patient may be seen by several doctors and multiple nurses. All these individuals need to understand quickly and accurately what medications are being administered and in what doses the medications are being delivered to a patient. Delivery lines are typically long and draped and can become intertwined.
Two relevant patents are U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,750 to Spiller and U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,026 to Underwood.
It is an object of this invention to provide a system which speeds identification of a medication for regulation or disconnection.
A further object is to have a system which reduces the chances of error by disconnection or misregulation of medication being delivered to a patient.